Calls to ditch the rules which have beneficiaries lose the benefit if they fail their pre-employment drug tests.

New figures show only one in 277 fail their test, which includes failures for not turning up.

Now the Drug Foundation says this dispels the myth that most beneficiaries are doing drugs, and we need to stop hammering people who are vulnerable.

New Zealand Initiative Senior Research Fellow Bryce Wilkinson says told Mike Hosking there are many reasons why the policy should be changed.

"It costs a significant amount of money to test a lot of people and find that the tests are negative, there might be more precise ways of targeting who's more likely to be on drugs."

LISTEN ABOVE AS BRYCE WILKINSON TALKS TO MIKE HOSKING